Symbian mobile software shipments up 56%, revenue up 30%

DanielThomas

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.K. mobile phone software company Symbian Tuesday reported a 56% year-on-year rise in third-quarter product shipments to device manufacturers, and said that its revenue had increased by 30% in the same period.

Symbian said that its technology has now shipped in 165 million devices. However average royalties per unit dropped in the period to $4.8 per unit from $5.2 a year ago.

Symbian reported that shipments of its operating system were up to 20.4 million units, from 13.0 million units a year earlier, in the three months ended Sept. 30, while revenue increased to GBP52.4 million from GBP40.3 million.

The company is expected to face an increasing threat from new mobile operating-system rivals, such as Microsoft Corp
MSFT, +1.25%
and Google Inc.
GOOG, +0.57%
which yesterday launched a competing software.

Symbian said the sales increase was driven by a growing demand for smartphones, and growth in Asia.

Most of Symbian's operating platform sales go to Nokia, although the company also provides technology to other handset makers, specifically Motorola Inc.
MSI, -0.29%
and Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Telefon AB LM Ericsson
ERIC, +0.00%
and Sony Corp.
SNE, +0.20%

"I am confident that Symbian will continue to lead the growing smartphone market, to outperform the competition, and to erode other consumer electronic device markets," said Symbian Chief Executive in a statement.

The company declined to comment further on the statement released Tuesday.

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